“He’ll always be true, faithful and brave, even to the last beat of his heart.”
It’s 1917. In the trenches of France, miles from home, Stanley is a boy fighting a man’s war. He is a dog handler, whose dog must be so loyal that he will cross no-man’s-land alone under heavy fire to return to Stanley’s side, carrying a message that could save countless lives. But this journey is fraught with danger, and only the bravest will survive.
As the fighting escalates and Stanley experiences the true horror of war, he comes to realize that the loyalty of his dog is the only thing he can rely on…
It’s been a long time since I read a book based around animals so when I decided to pick this up from my to-be-read shelf, it was done with some trepidation.
What I liked about the book:
Educational- Since I rarely read fiction based on the Great World War, I found it interesting to read about the work done by dog-handlers and their contribution to the war effort. Reading this book has taught me more about dogs during the war than my History lessons. For instance, I didn’t know that the army had requested people to donate their dogs to be trained as messengers.
The climax- The best parts of the book were towards the middle, when Stanley finally got to train as a dog-handler. The description and writing from this point were noteworthy and captivating. I felt like I was there! I was leaning at the edge of my chair while wondering whether Stanley’s dog will make it.
Heart-warming moments- The relationship between Stanley and his dog was touching. My heart ached when his dog got injured.
What I disliked about the book:
It was hard to empathise with the protagonist- The story was written in third person, so a sense of a barrier was already present. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but the fact that Stanley barely had dialogue or offered his thoughts to the reader made it hard to understand him.
Reads a bit like a list- In the beginning, I found the writing a little tedious. It was difficult to get myself immersed in the book. I often found myself being bombarded with facts and consequently lacked an emotional connection with the characters.
Difficulty understanding the dialect- Da, Stanley’s dad, spoke in a dialect and it was sometimes difficult to understand what he was saying. There were other characters who had an accent as well, but they weren’t as difficult to understand. Readers from outside Britain might find it challenging to read.
‘Soldier Dog’ started off slowly and almost lost my interest but I’m glad that I continued reading because it soon redeemed itself. Reading this book has taught me things about the Great World War that isn’t mentioned in my History textbooks. It offered an insight into a teenaged boy’s life and what it would have been like as a dog-handler. There is no doubt that Angus did her research when it came to the numerous facts peppered throughout the novel. I enjoyed learning about dogs and their behaviours.
I would recommend this book for fans of stories based on animals. Fans of Michael Morpurgo might enjoy this novel also.
